9-Layer Chocolate Cake

Ever since I was a little girl, a chocolate layer cake has been my all-time favorite dessert. Holidays were especially a favorite because I knew this cake would make an appearance. My Mama Ann makes it with 16 layers but I decided to give her recipe a try and opted for 9 layers - one day, I'll get to 16! I borrowed these 9" round cake pans from my mom and I lucked out that she had 9 so I was able to pour batter into the pans all at once, which helped me measure how much to put in each (the layers weren't perfect, but I'm going for taste here!). 

For the first batch of layers (I baked two at a time), we started the timer at 11 minutes at 275 degrees as I wasn't sure how long they would need to bake. I found that in our gas oven, the perfect time was around 14 minutes. Especially if you're baking this cake for the first time, I would recommend opting for a shorter time first and then testing with a toothpick until it comes out clean. 

Ingredients:

Cake: 

• 1 and a half boxes of Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix
• 1 cup of water (maybe a little more if batter seems thick)
• 1 and a half sticks of Blue Bonnet Margarine 
• 5 Large Eggs

Icing:

• 1 and a half boxes of 10x confectioner's sugar
• 5 tablespoons of Hershey's Cocoa Powder
• 12 ounces of cream cheese
• 1 and a half sticks of Blue Bonnet Margarine
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of Pet Milk 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl or mixer, mix together all cake ingredients. Beat until completely smooth.
3. Heavily grease 9-inch round cake pans - I use Pam
4. Evenly distribute out the batter amongst your pans
5. Bake in pairs for 10 - 15 minutes (test with toothpicks) - our magic number was 14 minutes. 
6. While the layers bake, mix together all ingredients for icing until smooth. 
7. As layers cool, remove from pan and ice each layer.
8. Once all layers are added, ice the exterior of the cake. 
9. Enjoy!